Method of mining coal



April 12 1927.

avic. PRATT.

METHOD'WOF MINING COAL Filed Maron 2o. 1925 Brneslr C Pro1- Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITEDSTATES I ERNESTCJPRATT, or1v1INNEAPoms;Miivnnsorn.v

METHOD 0F MINING COAL. v

Application ledMarch 20, 1826. Serial No. 96,221.

My invention relates to methods of miningvcoal andhas for -its object to provide a method by which coal may be expeditiously and economically removed from the face of the room in whichl the mining` occurs and loaded on pit cars which may bermoved into the entries ofthe yminegandl .hauled to thehoists yin the mine shaft.

, yAn object of the invention resides in providing a method of mining coal in which the roomwhere -the mining is taking placels equippedwith two tracks ,having pit cars thereon, Valsowith ya coal loader and a transertruck adaptedto move cars bodily, which method consists of loosening the coal at :the ace, in scoopingrupthe coall and depositing ity upon the loader,I otmoving a pit ,car bodily from one track to said loader, diS- charging the coalvfrom the'loader upon the pit car'moying thepit carbodilyback to said second track and placing said pit car thereon.. x

. lIlVith, the foregoing and other Vobjects 1n view, which will appearin the following description, the invention/,resides in the novel combinationand arrangement of parts and in the details of-,construction hereinafter described :and claimed.

The drawing is aplan sectional view yof a room in a mine illustrating, apparatus by means of which the method maybe carried out. u 1

, In the mining of coal by the usual methods, considerable time is lost where a single track is employed, whilea loaded pit car is beingmoved from the room in. which the mining is taking placeftoy the mine entry andfanempty brought back. During such movement of a pit car the lloader usually remains idle a part of the time awaiting the 'return of the emptyv car. In my improved method of Vmining coal, vtheptrip.k cars are moved practically continuously:from theincomingltrack yto theloader and back again to the outgoing" track softhat .loss of time is greatly reduced, allowingl the loader to operatev substantially ywithoutV interruption.

For the purpose of illustrating the application of the invention, I have disclosed a portion of a coal mine of the roomy and pillar type, though it willreadily become apparent that myimprorcd methodof mining may be used in otherfkinds and types of mines, In the drawing, a mine room has beenil1ustrated,1which is formed with a neck 19; lsdllg int@ the, entry Y. or other passage-s conveyor 19.

way of the mine not shown in the drawing.. The room A is elongated in form, widening out to a maximum width im-l mediately beyond the neck 10 and remaining substantially the same width throughoutitslength. The coal is loosened from the face ot the room A, indicated, at 11, so that'as the miningprogresses the room A islengthened until it reaches the end of its course or becomes connected with other rooms of the mine. All of the coal istaken out of `a room A through the neck 10 and my invention is particularly concerned with the expeditious handling of the Vcoal in said room landtheremoval of the coal there from. y t

Within the entries of the mine are laid tracksv whichy leadup to the hoisting ap.- paratus ink the mineshaft, not 'shown in the drawing. A spur track 12 connected with one of these tracks in the entries passes along the neck 10, vwhere it divides .forming two branches 13 andl 14 connected by a suitableswitch 15. The track 13 is used for ingress `into the roomcA, while the track 14 is used for egress.` Upon the track 13, .are stored empty cars 16 while loaded cars 17 are placedupon the-track 14. Y

In` addition to the tracks and cars the rooml A of thel mine is kequipped with va loader B and a transfer truck C which funcf tion in a manner presently to be described; The loader B may be. of the type illustrated in Letters Patent numbered 1,508,856 and 1,508,857'both issued, to me September 16, 1924which type of loader includes a scoop; 18adapted yto scoop up the coal loosened ina fall andraise itr and depositit upon; a hopper equipped with. a .discharge This hopper .is suiiiciently raisedk above'the ground so that the coal placed thereon maybe discharged over the end of the same and into any suitable receiver lplaced beneath it. The whole structure is mounted on a framework 20- carried by two caterpillar units'21 and 22 propelled and manipulated .to cause the loader to operate in any position along the face 11. .Thetransfer truck C may be of the type disclosed in my accompanying application for patent, Serial Number 96,224, filed March 20, 1926, which 4truck consists 'of 'an' underslung framework 23 supported on Vtwo caterpillar units'24 and. 25, said ,framework carrying two rails 26 and27 adaptedto register with the-rals ofltraek; 16 ori-17.'4 when (itl the truck brought up to either ol these tracks. The truck further is provided with mechanism by means olf which ars may be drawn from the tracks ,and upon the rails 26 and or remored from said rails and placed upon the track.

The rarious` steps in my improved method ol mining coal are as follows. llhnpty cars lo are lirst run in upon the branch track 13 to the end of the same. '.lruck C is next brought up to the end ot track 13 so as to causev the iails oi" said track to register with the rails` :lo and ill' ol said track. ln this position the lirst irl the incoming' cars 1G on track i3 is uncouplcd and hy means of the nieclianism pieiiiously alluded lo, drawn upon raid rails, said car being indicated at: 2d in the drawing. liy propelling truck (fl, car ills; moved bodily to any location Within the room It at which the loader lll is operating. llihcn said loader at the end of the lare il as illustrated, truck C is first hacked up along;l the course indicated at El) and then moved 'forwardly alonpr the course 3l until the car QS becomes positioi'ied so as to receive the coal discharged from the conveyor lt) olf loader l. As the coal is scooped up by scoop 18 and deposited upon the conveyor 1S), said conveyor is advanced step by step until the saine is loaded with iuel throughout its length. The coal is then discharged into the pit car 2S carried by truck C and the hmding ot conveyor 19 again resumed. While the loading' olf this conveyor occurs truck (l is retraced along its pathoi travel indicated at 3l and then advanced along a course Si) until it takes the position shown in dotted lines, with the rails Q6 and 27 thereoiI registering with the ends oli the. rails olf track lll. ln this position pit ear 29, which is non' loaded may be placed upon truck lil and crmplcd to the other loaded cars lT. After car 52d is removed irom truck C, said truck again may retrace its course o'l'` travel over routes Slt) and lil, pick up another empty car lo, carry it over to the loader .ll to be loadedj 'from its `then replcnished hopper,` amh linall bring; said loaded car hack to track ilfli, ln this manner a cycle ol operations occur where the loader lil @pentes practically continuously lenigl as sntlicient empty are arailable. llVhen the last car is being loaded, the locomotive brings in a new trip ot empties spotting them on track 13 and hanls away theloaded trip on tinck il, so that very little time need he lost while the loaded cars are heiner hauled away and the empties brought hack again.

Inasmuch as only one loader may he advantageonsly usedin each room of the mine, it readily follows that the cilieiency of removingthe coal depends upon how steadily the loader operates, My improved method ofmining coal permits the loader to he at leemos the face of a I room at all times and allows t-he loaded cars to be removed and icmpty cars brought hack just as 'fast as the cars are loaded so that the loader in operation practically at all times. Further, my improved method is highly adyantagefms in that the requirements at each of the various1 rooms iior the attendance ot' a mine loeomo tire and its trainmen are greatly minimized. and this for the reason that `a locomotive is permitted to handle a train ol: cars at each trip thereof as opposed to the handling; oi a single pit car under the usual methods-i. The locemotire requircmcntr7 :lor a ,einen room being under my improved method, it iollon's that a mine may be expeditiously operated with reduced hafomotire equipment and under reduced labor costs l'or trainmen.

Changes in the forni ot the apparatus employed and in the steps ol my improved method oli miningy coal may be made without departing from the spirit ol" the invention within the scope oi': the 'following claims.

Hai/ing described. my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect hy Letters Patent is: i

l. The method of mining;r coal which conin accumulatinp,r coal in a loader at the lace ol a room havinga. number of tracks, n1 renfioving an empty pit car from onetraek and moving it to a positioirremote from said tracks and adjacent said loader, discharging the coal :trom saidiloader directly into said pit car, and ot' moving such loaded pit car to a second track.

The method of mining coal which consists in accun'rulating coal in a loader at the face ol a room in which mining is beine" carried on, jn'inliellinnr a transiter truck up to the end ol a track haring empty pit cars stored thereon, ruiming the first oli said empty pit careupon said transfer truck so as to he carried bodily thereon` propellingr said truck and pit car to a position adjacent said loader, discharpinrr the coal 'from said loader directly into said pit car7 propelling; said transfer truck and loaded pit car to the end ott a second track and removingr said, loaded pit car Afrom said transiter truck and placing` it upon said second track.

3. The method of minimer coal consisting in the employment within `a room of a mine ot' tiro tracks endirnfy` in said rooin, pit cars haring ingress to the room on one track and egress therefrom on the second traclo a self dunipinc loader for siiiooping up and accumulatinflr loads o'l coal, and a pit ear transfer trucle said truckbeingr employed to carry an empty pit car from said iirst track to said loader and to carry said pit car loaded from said loader to said second track.

Al. The method ol miningr coal consisting in the employment Within a room of a mine ot two tracks ending in `said room, pit cars lill) having ingress to the room on one track and egress therefrom on the second track, and a pit ca-r transfer truck, said truck being employed to carry empty pit cars from said first track to a remote locality for loading and to carry said pit cars loaded to said second track.

5. The method of mining coal in a room in a coal mine having two tracks, one for ingress and another for egress and pit cars for said tracks, said room being further equipped With a loader and a transfer truck, which method consists in accumulating coal at the face of the room upon said loader, moving empty pit cars bodily by said transfer truck from said track for ingress into the room to said loader, discharging the coal from said loader directly into said pit cars, moving said loaded pit cars bodily by said transfer truck to said track for egress from said mine room, and in removing said loaded trip car from said truck and depositing it upon said last named track.

6. The method of mining coal which consists in accumulating coal in a loader at the face of a room in which the mining is carried on, moving an empty pit ear from one track to a temporary support, moving said support and pit car to a position adjacent said loader, discharging vcoal from said loader directly into said pit car, moving said support and loaded pit car to a second track and moving said loaded pit car from said support to said second track.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

vERNEST C. PRATT. 

